Jeremy Clarkson, the renowned TV presenter and former Top Gear host, has declared he will never speak about his contentious exit from the BBC. The dramatic parting came ten years ago after Clarkson punched a producer, an incident that abruptly ended his long-standing run on the iconic motoring show.
Peter Fincham, a producer on Clarkson’s Farm, recently expressed regret over the BBC’s decision to dismiss Clarkson, describing it as a “straightforward mistake.” Fincham believes that losing Clarkson was a significant loss for the broadcaster, especially as Clarkson went on to achieve success with Amazon Prime.
Now 65, Clarkson remains resolute on not revisiting the past. Speaking to The Telegraph, he stated, “Everyone’s got an opinion of those times and those days. I have never talked about it and I never will.”
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Clarkson hosted Top Gear alongside Richard Hammond and James May from 2002 until 2015, when he faced allegations of verbal and physical abuse directed at producer Oisin Tymon. The trio subsequently launched The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime and Clarkson’s Farm, a farming documentary series, which has become a major hit. Clarkson also revived the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? as its host.
In addition to reflecting on his career, Clarkson opened up about a recent serious health scare. Last year, he was “hours away” from a potentially fatal heart attack, undergoing emergency heart surgery with two stents fitted to clear severely blocked arteries. Clarkson described waking up feeling “clammy” with chest tightness and left arm numbness, warning how close he was to a critical event.
“The blood vessels feeding my heart looked like something dangling from a cave in the Peak District — totally ruined,” he told The Telegraph. He attributed the condition to “60 years of really bad living,” compounded by stress and lack of sleep.
Clarkson’s hospitalization prompted a major lifestyle overhaul. Following doctors’ advice, he has given up processed foods, adopted regular exercise, and taken up pickleball, a racket sport similar to tennis but played on a smaller court. Additionally, he has experimented with a ‘mono diet,’ where only one type of food is consumed for a period. However, Clarkson still admits to enjoying the occasional glass of rosé wine.
Fans can catch the fourth series of Clarkson’s Farm, which premiered on Amazon Prime on May 23, continuing to follow his unique life journey beyond the screen.